1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to an assembly used in making ceramic composite structures, and to a method of using the assembly. The assembly comprises a body of parent metal oriented with respect to a mass of permeable filler disposed within a segmented container. The assembly is heated to melt the body of parent metal, in the presence of an oxidant, and the molten parent metal is then oxidized to form a polycrystalline ceramic matrix which grows into and embeds the filler.
2. Description of Commonly Owned Patent Applications
The subject matter of this application is related to that of Commonly Owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,851,375, which issued on July 25, 1989 entitled "Methods of Making Composite Ceramic Articles Having Embedded Filler" from Application Ser. No. 819,397, filed Jan. 17, 1986, as a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 697,876, filed Feb. 4, 1985, both application filed in the names of Marc S. Newkirk et al and entitled "Composite Ceramic Articles and Methods of Making The Same." This commonly owned Patent discloses a novel method for producing a self-supporting ceramic composite by growing an oxidation reaction product from a parent metal into a permeable mass of filler.
The method of producing a self-supporting ceramic body by oxidation of a parent metal precursor is disclosed generically in Commonly Owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,360, which issued on Dec. 15, 1987 from application Ser. No. 818,943, filed Jan. 15, 1986, as a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 776,964, filed Sept. 17, 1985, as a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 705,787, filed Feb. 26, 1985, as a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 591,392, filed Mar. 16, 1984, all in the names of Marc S. Newkirk et al and entitled "Novel Ceramic Materials and Methods of Making Same." This invention employs an oxidation phenomenon, which may be enhanced by the use of one or more dopants alloyed in the parent metal, to afford self-supporting ceramic bodies of desired size grown as the oxidation reaction product of the precursor parent metal.
The foregoing method was improved upon by the use of one or more external dopants applied to the surface of the precursor parent metal as disclosed in Commonly Owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,853,352, which issued on Aug. 1, 1989 entitled "Method of Making Self-Supporting Ceramic Materials and Materials Made Thereby " from Application Ser. No. 220,935, filed June 23, 1988, as a continuation of Applications Ser. No. 822,999, filed Jan. 27, 1986, as a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 776,965, filed Sept. 17, 1985, as a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 747,788, filed June 25, 1985, as a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 632,636, filed July 20, 1984, all in the names of Marc S. Newkirk et al and entitled "Methods of Making Self-Supporting Ceramic Materials."
A further development of the foregoing methods enables the formation of self-supporting ceramic structures which contain therein one or more cavities which inversely replicate the geometry of a positive mold of shaped precursor parent metal embedded within a bed of conformable filler which is self-bonding under specified conditions as described in Commonly Owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,785, which issued on May 9, 1989 entitled "Inverse Shape Replication Method of Making Ceramic Composite Articles" from Application Ser. No. 823,542, filed Jan. 27, 1986, in the names of Marc S. Newkirk et al, entitled "Inverse Shape Replication Method of Making Ceramic Composite Articles and Articles Obtained Thereby."
Yet another development of the foregoing methods enables the formation of self-supporting ceramic bodies having a negative pattern which inversely replicates the positive pattern of a parent metal precursor emplaced against a mass of filler, as described in Commonly Owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,640, which issued on Aug. 22, 1989 from application Ser. No. 896,157, filed Aug. 13, 1986, in the name of Marc S. Newkirk and entitled "Method of Making Ceramic Composite Articles With Shape Replicated Surfaces and Articles Obtained Thereby."
Still another development of the foregoing methods comprises forming the ceramic composite body within a container or encasement member comprised of a material, such as INCONEL, which has a larger coefficient of thermal expansion than does the ceramic composite body whereby, upon cooling of the polycrystalline ceramic body and the encasement member, the latter is shrink-fitted about the ceramic composite body to impart compression thereto. This technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,785, which issued on Apr. 18, 1989 from application Ser. No. 212,071, filed June 24, 1988, as a continuation application from application Ser. No. 908,073, filed Sept. 16, 1986 all , in the names of Marc S. Newkirk et al and entitled "Ceramic Composite Structures Having Intrinsically Fitted Encasement Members Thereon and Methods of Making the Same."
The entire disclosures of all of the foregoing Commonly Owned Patent Applications and Patents and those described below, are expressly incorporated herein by reference.